An overview of software cybernetics

Software cybernetics explores the interplay between software and control and is motivated by the fundamental question whether or not and how software behavior can be controlled. In this paper, we formulate the underlying motivations and ideas of software cybernetics and review various existing research topics in this emerging area, including feedback mechanisms in software processes, bisimulation and controllability, adaptive software, software synthesis, software test process control, and adaptive testing. We identify software rejuvenation and performance control, software fault-tolerance, logical foundation for control systems, and communication complexity for control systems as potential research topics. Several on-going research projects are also summarized.